>> thanks for watching. see you tomorrow. >> caption colorado, llc comments@captioncolorado.com >>. an era ends as the space shuttle "atlantis" touches down on time and on target bringing nasa's shuttle program for a close. we will have all of the latest from the kennedy space center and look at back at 30 years of success and tragedy in orbit. the massive heat wave that scorched the midwest is slowly moving east as more than 30 states now face heat warnings. 115 million americans are battling the dangerous conditions. in many cities temperatures will approach a hundred and feel hotter than that and we will have the steamy forecast and tell you what is behind the worst heat wave in more than a tech aid. rupert murdoch returns to the u.s., new report accuses his company of trying to block a

criminal investigation into phone hacking and police payoffs by his reporters. we will tell you what is next for the embattled media mogul this thursday, july 21st, 2011. good morning. welcome to "the early show." you see the barometer rising. humidity rise. dew point rising. sun is rise. the translation, it is hot. >> very hot. it feels hotter it even shows on your thermometers this morning. >> like 80 in new york already and 7:01 and 32 states across the country with some type of heat advisory today. the temperatures triple digits in a lot of places and talk about that coming up. >> i'm rebecca jarvis. good morning. erica hill is off this morning. >> i'm chris wragge. start with the final landing of the space shuttle. "atlantis" touched downed early this morning, a perfect end to

the shuttle he program's last mission. cbs news national correspondent chip reid is here with more. >> reporter: you can see the shuttle "atlantis" at the end of the runway behind me. this is the last time you will ever see a space shuttle on an active runway. nasa plans to put a plaque at that very spot to signify the end of an era. it was a perfect landing as the "atlantis" touched down after a 13-day mission delivering supplies to the international space station. a final voyage that brings the shuttle program to an end. >> copy, we will stop and we will take this opportunity to congratulate you, "atlantis." >> reporter: here at the kennedy space center, those are the words, wheels stopped, everybody has been dreading. bill harwood has covered the space program for cbs news for 20 years. >> it really does mean the end of the program. for the tens of thousands of people that have worked on these space shuttles the last 30 years, it's like losing a close friend.

it's a gut-wrenching emotional moment and i'm not sure there will be a dry eye on the runway. >> reporter: after 30 years and 135 flights, the shuttle program has its share of a polishments. building the international space station. and deploying 180 satellites and space probes. but there have also been heart-wrenching tragedies. the "challenger" disaster in 1986 that took the lives of the crew of seven and brought the program to a halt in three years and in 2003 the "columbia" burned up on re-entry with the loss of another seven astronauts. what is next for the u.s. space program is uncertain, when president obama decided to end the shuttle program, he announced a new mission to return to the moon, but president obama canceled that program in favor of a longer term plan, to land astronauts on an asteroid and eventually mars. for now, getting u.s. astronauts to the space station will mean

buying a seat on a russian spacecraft. >> the idea that nas is a real estate tiring the space shuttle in favor of hitching rides with the russians is a turn of events 50 years after the start of the space race. >> reporter: as many as 3,000 people will be laid off starting tomorrow here at the kennedy space center and that is on top of thousands of others who have already been laid off. you know, chris, for decades, this part of florida has been known as the space coast. now people around here are starting to call it the ghost coast. >> another tough part of this story. chip, thanks so much. that is chip reid at the kennedy space center for us this morning. the latest on the heat wave that is covering most of the country. it could last through the weekend. much of the oes east coast is bracing for some of the hottest weather so far this year. marysol castro is on washington on the national mall with more on it. thanks for braving the heat for us. >> absolutely. >> reporter: good morning, everyone at home. right now, it's 81 degrees.

it feels more like 91 in the nation's capital. the heat wave has gripped two-thirds is sitting over the's. 22 people have died as a result. heat is the number one killer of all weather-related hazards. searing temperatures continue to grip much of the country. more than 141 million people have been facing advisories in a heat wave that has broiled 34 states with 100 plus temperatures. across the country, the unrelenting heat is responsible for at least 22 deaths. this noaa animation shows the heat wave in red like a rash across the central u.s. and now it's closing in on the east coast. it's all the result of what is called a heat dome which forms when a ridge of high pressure in the upper atmosphere compresses the hot, moist air beneath it. at the same time, the jet stream is pushed northward, keeping any cool air way up in canada.

how is the heat treating you? >> it's tough. the sun is tight, but we have been drinking lots of fluid. >> reporter: here in washington, d.c., the mercury is just beginning to soar. these d.c. firemen have to answer the call no matter how hot it gets. >> you just learn to deal with it. like i say, stay hydrated and when we do work in it, you try to pace yourself and ask for reli relief. >> reporter: that it come from this cooling truck that follows firefighters to emergencies. >> the whole purpose is to provide the firefighters with a cooling station. >> reporter: the air-conditioned truck is equipped with cool water and gatorade, as well as medical equipment. looks like you can even check vital signs and carry portable misting stations in the name of keeping emergency workers safe in the heat. >> try to stay cool, out of the sun, but we work in it. if duty calls, we got to go. >> reporter: absolutely. because in the face of danger, these firefighters have

absolutely no choice. it is so humid here in washington, d.c. it feels like you can almost wring the air. the expected high is 101 but when you factor in the heat index, it feels way hotter and, again, by the weekend, this is just going to get worse all along the i-95 corridor and we will have more on that later on in the broadcast. >> going to get worse. marysol castro, thank you. we will see you in a few minutes. this morning, tabloid hacking scandal rages on in britain, rupert murdoch is back in the united states while his company is making plans just in case has scandal spreads across the atlantic. jeff glor is back in london with more this morning on the latest with this story. good morning again, jeff. >> chris, good morning to you from london. >> reporter: you know rupert murdoch spent decades building up his media empire and now he is doing everything he can to try to preserve it. rupert murdoch arrived back in new york last night.

hoping the newspaper scandal that has consumed britain doesn't envelope his american interests. as owner of the "wall street journal" and more. now an fbi probe is officially under way looking into whether murdoch employees maid investigators to hack into the voice mails of 9/11 victims. this as the directors of news corp. beginning hiring former u.s. attorney mary jo white and former attorney general michael mukasey. >> it's hard to know what kind of jeopardy they are in because we don't know all of the facts. in connection with any bribes that were paid in england. >> reporter: here in england, the ever expanding list of

influential figures who have either resigned, been arrested or forced to answer questions now includes the prime minister. david cameron. >> order! >> reporter: he cut short a diplomatic trip to africa so he could say during an emergency session of parliament that he is sorry. >> you live and you learn and believe you, me, i have learned. >> reporter: he was talking about his once close, now toxic ties to a former editor of the "news of the world" andy coulson who cameron hired as his communications chief even after the original phone-hacking complaints came to life. >> if it turns out that he knew about the hacking, then that will be a matter of huge regret and matter of great joapology. >> i didn't know it. >> reporter: the head of the news corporation by his own estimation has never been more vulnerable than is he now, calling this week's hearing the

most humble day of his life. from the beginning, some "news of the world" executives have suggested that other papers were also involved in hacking here. and now the high court here in london has issued the release -- ordered the release, i should say of documentation that a freelance reporter working for "news of the world" was also providing information to other newspapers. >> now you have had a chance of to spend a couple of days in london what has this impact had shall? in the united states talking about a good deal. here, they are talking about it a great deal. consumed the media landscape here. maybe a lull today with no hearing scheduled behind me. >> good to talk to you jeff. see you later on in the broadcast. >> thanks, chris. the latest on the budget talks with just 12 days left before the deadline, president obama is shifting his position on raising the government debt limit before making a final deal to cut spending. cbs news senior white house

correspondent bill plante has the latest. good morning, bill. >> reporter: good morning there. it's a sign, though, that the pressure is really on. that's what you're hearing. the president has shifted his position just a little bit. from insisting that he wouldn't sign any kind of short-term deal, but he continues to insist that any deal include some kind of revenue increases. >> that kind of balanced approach, i think, offers a way out of the this dilemma and, hopefully stabilizing the economy in a way that will help us create jobs here in america. >> reporter: with time running out, the president's spokesman says he would be okay with a short-term agreement to avoid default on august nd but only if a larger deal was already in the process of being written. >> because the parameters of what that might look like are well known, especially to the participants in the negotiations the president oversaw last week. >> reporter: on capitol hill, the bipartisan plan of the gang of six senators gathered more than 30 supporters, but democrat dick durbin, one of the six,

told cbs news it's not practical to think that it could be written, let alone get past skeptics in the house before august 2nd. durbin, majority leader harry reid and nancy pelosi and steny hoyer went to the white house to meet with the president. durbin said the gang of six plan was not discussed. in a separate meeting, boehner and cantor spent an hour and a half alone with the president. now most likely way out is still everyone's least favorite choice, the plan being developed by the leaders in the senate which would give the president the power to cut the -- or to raise the debt limit unilaterally. but there is still hope around here and on capitol hill that some kind of new revenue and tax cuts can be attached to it. >> they are running it back to the deadline. >> reporter: they sure are. >> we turn to betty nguyen for the rest of today's headlines. good morning to you.

afghan troops take over security responsibility in another key city this morning. security preparations are under way in hurat, one of seven areas where afghan forces will take control from international troops this week. 2014 expected all troops have left afghanistan or be in support roles. yesterday's handover took place in helmand province. cbs news correspondent mandy clark was there for the changing of the guard. >> reporter: helmand province has been the deadliest battleground in afghanistan. nearly half of all coalition deaths have happened here. president obama's surge focused on turning that around. the province's capital saw troop movement of a different kind. with the official handover to afghan forces. one sign of how fragile the security situation is. the ceremony was not announced in advance. out of fear the taliban would strike.

the new commander of coalition forces in afghanistan acknowledged the heavy price american and british troops paid for the progress made here. >> there are some voices that are raised to question whether this sacrifice has been worth it. those of us who wear this uniform have one answer -- yes! >> reporter: it was certainly a proud moment for the afghans as the defense minister inspected his troops. the handover of power from coalition to afghan forces has been done with pomp and ceremony. it is considered one of the most volatile places that will northbound afghan control. the real test will be if afghan forces can secure the city on their own without foreign troops jumping back in to help. aa top u.s. diplomat admitted too soon to count the taliban out. >> the gains that have been made are potentially reversible, but today is an important step forward for afghanistan. >> reporter: most of helmand will still be controlled by foreign forces.

but the exit strategy was plain to see. even choreographed as british and u.s. troops marched off and the afghans rolled in. mandy clark, cbs news, in afghanistan. the transportation security administration is star starting to install new screening software in the controversial airport scanners. many passengers had expressed outrage over the scanners that show naked body images. the new software will substitute the image for a genic body outlightly and highlight areas of concern. here in new york a solemn ceremony at ground zero. a 30-ton fire truck was lowered yesterday into the site's underground museum due to open next year. the truck was crushed on 9/11. it carried 11 firefighters to the world trade center, all of whom died when the towers collapsed. 15 minutes past the hour. now let's take you outside to marysol castro in washington, d.c. how is the weather out there?

>> reporter: betty, it is steamy. down right steamy. good morning to you. good morning, everyone at home. let's go to the maps and take a look at the heat dome. it has moved into the east coast from raleigh to boston. temperatures in the upper 90s to 100. 10 to 15 degrees above normal. raleigh, by the way, broke a record of a hundred. d.c. is shy of a record for today. 32 states have some sort of heat advisory that covers more than two-thirds of the nation if from texas to nebraska and georgia up to maine. right now the dome of heat is over arkansas and tennessee.

thanks so much. that is your latest weather. now back over to a very cool studio where i find my colleagues rebecca and christian. >> you asked for it. you wanted to be out there in the element. it does look humid out there, i have say that. a nice shot but it looks soupy back there. see you in a couple of minutes. >> we will enjoy the air-conditioning in here. >> only about 62 here. not bad. still ahead, important news for people facing foreclosure.

a little known government program that can help you keep your house but you need to act fast because it ends tomorrow! amazon.com plays hardball in california in a fight to avoid charging you a sales tax when you buy things online. we will take you inside that battle and how it could impact you right here on "the early show." we all want our kids to eat their vegetables, but they'd rather they disappear. mott's medleys has two total fruit and veggie servings in every glass but magically looks and tastes just like the fruit juice kids already love. mott's medleys. invisible vegetables.

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[ male announcer ] make the switch. welcome back to "the early show." this morning, millions of americans are in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. a lot of them don't know there's actually a government program designed to help them. >> the only problem is there is just 24 hours left for people to apply for the emergency homeowners loan program. coming up, we will speak with the man who created the program, congressman barney frank. we'll talk to him about why the program hasn't gotten more publicity and also what's in store for americans going forward. this portion of "the early

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a manhunt continues this morning in fairfield. police are trying to fin ey good morning. 7:25. time for news headlines. i'm grace lee. a manhunt continues this morning in fairfield. police are trying to find a 39- year-old man they say threatened his mother last night. the woman got away safely. a s.w.a.t. team had the man's house surrounded overnight. but he was gone when officers moved in this morning. san francisco's police chief will try again to meet with the public. this is despite being shouted down at last night's gathering in the bayview district. the meeting was to discuss saturday's fatal officer- involved shooting. meanwhile, police say only 17 of the 43 people arrested during a violent protest on tuesday were from san francisco. native american tribes have reached a settlement with

vallejo leaders to protect burial grounds. they have been camped out at glen cove for nearly 100 days to block plan development. we'll have an un-- we'll have an update of. traffic and weather coming right up. ,,,,,,,,,,,,

good morning from the traffic center. one of our slow spots is the altamont pass. accident-free that's the good news but again stop and go

conditions. 23 minutes west 580 from the altamont pass to 680. if you are taking the bay bridge, metering lights are on. backup just beyond the caltrans parking lot so not too bad but slow across the upper deck into san francisco. not bad, though, headed into oakland. elsewhere golden gate bridge a little sluggish as you come away from the waldo tunnel. but looking good on the san mateo bridge no there's at both directions. that's a look at your morning drive. kristy has your forecast. >> thanks a lot, gianna. more sunshine today like yesterday. still keeping those temperatures at or even slightly above average. seeing a little more cloud cover out there though this morning as you can see in the life shot outside. we should clear out in those inland location at least around the bay this afternoon. temperatures inland mid-90s. 70s around the bay. 60s at the coast. next couple of days, changes in store. cooling for friday, bumping up a little bit for the weekend. monday, tuesday, wednesday, continuing with a cooling trend so we'll only be in the high 80s at that point in our warmest spots. ,,,,,,,,

welcome back to "the early show" here on a thursday morning. i'm chris wragge along with rebecca jarvis. erica hill is off this week. coming up, amazon.com takes on the state of california. pretty big battle here. the world's laenget online retailer is fighting efforts to force it to collect sales tax from its customers the way other stores do. >> california claims it's losing more than a billion dollars to uncollected taxes from internet sellers, and we're going to look at this fierce fight, which is happening in several states. find out if it means that you'll soon be paying taxes on your online purchases. first, though, betty ngyuen is at the newsdesk with another look at our top headlines. >> good morning, guys. good moerning to you.

america's longest running manned space program ended this morning. >> landing here, down and locked. >> the shuttle "atlantis" touched down early this morning at florida's kennedy space center. it is the final landing for the shuttle program, which began 30 years ago. and after touchdown, the four "atlantis" astronauts walked off the space shuttle for their last time and shook hands with nasa officials. in other news, media baron rupert murdoch is home here in new york this morning. murdoch flew by private jet from london after a parliamentary grilling about the british phone hacking scandal. in manhattan, reporters praised murdoch's wife wendi for take on a pie-throwing protester. >> nice left, wendi. nice left. >> nice job on that. >> reporter: along with ongoing troubles in britain, murdoch's news corporation faces a federal investigation in this country. and the midwest is still feeling the extreme heat today as the hot weather continues to

one year ago today, president obama signed the dodd/frank financial reform act into law. and a lot of struggling homeowners may not know it but that law includes a program to help them avoid foreclosure. but the emergency homeowners loan program, which just started recently in some states is only taking applications for one more day. teresa acampora spent more than $15,000 making her home handicap accessible for her 10-year-old son kyle who has cerebra palsy. when she fell behind on her mortgage after losing her job as a sales and marketing direct nor2007, moving was a bad option for her family. >> losing this home was not an option. at one point, we were 10 or 11 months behind on the mortgage, and very actively in the throes

of a technical foreclosure. >> reporter: but acampora was able to avoid that fate after she learned about a new federal program for homeowners who are in default and either unemployed or underemployed. >> so you would have been foreclose on if not for this program? >> absolutely. this program, literally, we were seven to ten days away from foreclosure. >> reporter: the fund that saved her family is called the emergency homeowners loan program. as part of the dodd/frank act, lawmakers have set aside $1 billion to help qualifying homeowners get up to $50,000 to bring their mortgage current and help with two years of payments. the loan is forgiven after five years if the mortgage is kept up to date. >> we want to see those 1099s for that. >> reporter: in connecticut, the program has been up and running since april where one out of every 1525 homes is in foreclosure. >> it really helps people who have done everything they can to

play by the rules. >> reporter: but elsewhere in the country, many of the neediest applicants may not receive the help. >> i don't think the people know about the program. have you heard much about it? >> reporter: 27 states launched the program just last month. and the deadline for applicants is friday. but for acampora, the help came just in time. >> it was a god send. there's no other way i could possibly describe it to you. >> reporter: and joining us now from capitol hill is massachusetts congressman barney frank, co-author of the dodd/frank act. great to have you with us, representative frank. good morning. >> thank you. >> so clearly, this is something that can help people. it certainly helped teresa acampora. but it wasn't very well publicized. now the deadline is tomorrow. why not get the word out in a more big way? >> well, i'm very disappointed in hud. i generally work well with the obama administration hud, but they really were guilty of great

incompetence on this one. this is a program which i tried to start -- i started trying to sell this to the obama administration two years ago. and i want to make just two points if i can about it. first of all, this is not for people who made a bad mortgage deal. i have some seem for people who borrowed more than they should have, who were imprudent, but they don't have a claim on federal money. these go to mortgages that were reasonable when they were made but are in trouble now because the people are unemployed and you can't pay a mortgage out of unemployment compensation, especially when it's expired. secondly, we're not just doing this as a matter of compassion for individuals. they hurt the neighborhood and the whole economy. so we put this money in there. in fact in the original bill that we had that went to the house/senate conference, we had $2 billion, not $1 billion and it wasn't going to cost the taxpayers a nickel because it was going to come from the large financial institutions that helped cause the crisis. unfortunately to get the republican votes we needed in the senate we had to cut it in half and take it out of the taxpayers. now hud has delayed, and i have been pushing and yelling and

doing everything i could to get it working, and i hope this goes through. if there is any money left over, and again, this soenl for people who made a good mortgage decision and are unemployed, then they'll have to find some other way to get that money. >> reporter: representative frank if you can't rely on organizations like hud to carry out these programs, then why even put the money there in the first place and is there perhaps another solution, for example, a private solution that would be better organized to do something like this and help more people? >> let me ask you a first question you said. why do it in the first place? ask miss acampora. >> i'm not asking about that, representative frank. we're asking about -- we're asking -- >> excuse me. >> we're asking the question, representative frank you can answer this one, okay. answer the question of why go through hud and is there a better solution that might work better with public dollars at risk? >> well, i would like to answer all the questions asked of me. the first half was why do it at all. >> i think that was clear from

my report. >> i think -- well, but again you asked the question. i don't mean to quibble, but i shouldn't be -- i answered what you asked. secondly it does use private people to distribute it. and to give public money directly to a private institution could be a problem but i have to say, i have never seen hud perform so badly, so if we are able to extend this or if we do something in the future, i would agree, we have to minimize hud's involvement. with all that, i believe that we still have the capacity, if tomorrow comes and there's money left and there are people who are like miss acampora in need, will work very hard to get that money out to them. i'm disappointed in hud. i've never seen them perform so incompetently. and, yes in the future we'll have to take that into account. it's still, obviously, a very worthwhile program. >> you did make the point this isn't about helping subprime borrowers, but people who find themselves in the unfortunate position of a job loss or happen to be unemployed. so the basic underlying problem here is a jobs problem. and these people will have to

get jobs in order to make sure they stay current on their mortgage for the next five years. how do you solve that part of the issue? >> well, i think we have to do what, frankly, ben bernanke, a bush appointee originally to the federal reserve said. we need to get a program to reduce the deficit over the longer term. but that should not lead to serious reductions in the next -- the rest of this year. you have to do a timing thing. one of the reasons we have a problem is there are 500,000 fewer people working for state and local governments today than were working there two years popping that's teachers, firefighters, public works employees and police officers. i would provide more money to do that. i would provide some more short-term money in the context of longer term. secondly, we are now spending well over $100 billion a year, $120 billion a year in iraq and afghanistan. i wous never for going into iraq in the first place. i want to bring that money home. we are creating jobs with that money but they're not here and so i would take the money back

from iraq and afghanistan, spend it at home on those kind of programs within the context of a ten-year deficit reduction. >> congressman barney frank, we appreciate you joining us this morning. >> thank you. we'll be right back. so we made ocean spray cranberry juice cocktail with a splash of lime. it's so refreshing, your taste buds will thank you. mm... oh, you're welcome. what? my taste buds -- they're thanking me. uh-huh. discover aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers with scientifically proven soy complex

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for years, internet companies have argued with states over collecting sales tax on the items their customers buy online. the latest dispute pits two giants against one another. amazon.com versus the state of california with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. cbs news correspondent john blackstone has this report. >> reporter: for many online shoppers, the checkout screen noting zero sales tax seems a good reason to buy on the internet. but now, a new law in california requires online retailers to collect sales tax. and amazon, the world's biggest internet retailer, with $34 billion in sales last year isn't happy. so amazon, they are looking at any way they can to get out of this tax? >> exactly. exactly. >> reporter: betty yee, a member of california's tax board says amazon and other online stores are simply being told to do what other retailers do. >> you have the obligation to collect the tax on behalf of the

consumer and remit it to the state of california. >> reporter: amazon launched an expensive campaign putting the issue into the hands of california voters. the company declined to be interviewed but issued a statement saying californians deserve a voice and a choice about jobs, investment and a state's economic future. not just here in california, but across the country, amazon has aggressively fought back whenever a state government has tried to force the company to collect sales taxes for online purchases. at least 15 states have moved toward requiring amazon to collect sales tax. in new york, amazon is challenging a sales tax law in court. and in south carolina, amazon shut down construction of law. >> just canceled $52 million in investments and contracts for the state. >> reporter: south carolina backed off and construction resumed. >> they are doing business. why shouldn't they collect sales tax like everyone else?

>> reporter: neil softman runs a small san francisco bookstore and says it's hard enough competing against the internet giant. >> they, quite simply, want an advantage. they don't want to play by the rules. >> reporter: it's estimated that nationwide, states that are already suffering under huge budget deficits will lose more than $11 billion in uncollected sales taxes next year. california alone could lose nearly $1.3 billion. >> these are important dollars that could support vital public services like public education. >> reporter: in reality, all consumers are supposed to pay sales tax whether they buy in a store or online. but since online businesses have been largely exempt from collecting sales tax, those who actually go out to shop have been paying for the privilege. >> i would rather pay the extra bucks and come to an actual bookstore. >> reporter: however, plenty of californians have made the choice to pay less and shop online. amazon will be encouraging them

to vote to keep the sales tax loophole open. john blackstone, cbs news, sacramento. if amazon gets 500,000 voters to sign the petition over the next two months, the issue would be on the california ballot in february. stay with us. we'll be right back. this is "the early show" on cbs. getting grime from deep inside grout takes the right tools, but also a caring touch. you learn to get a feel for the trouble spots. to know its wants... its needs...its dreams. ♪call 1-800-steemer.

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still ahead here on "the early show," who doesn't love to go fishing every once in a while. it's nice. it's relaxing. you get the boat, grab some friends. how would you like to have this passenger aboard your vote. >> yikes. >> great white shark 10 feet long, 1100 pounds just came right over the rainfall this research vessel off the coast of south africa. >> i would have a nervous breakdown, and the people on board say it literally jumped right over one of them. in spite of the scare, everyone survived, including the fish. we'll hear from one of the survivors in our next hour. vietnam, 1967. i got mine in iraq, 2003. u.s.a.a. auto insurance

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a manhunt continue it is 7:55. time for news headlines from cbs 5. i'm elizabeth wenger. a manhunt continues this morning in fairfield. police are trying to find a 39- year-old man they say threatened his mother last night. the woman got away safely. a s.w.a.t. team had the man's house surrounded overnight but he was been to when officers moved in this morning. -- but he was gone when officers moved in this morning. native american tribes have reached an agreement with official in vallejo to protect sacred ground. they have camped out for 100 days to block planned investment. a stretch of san jose freeway will be closed for four straight overnights. some cities east side on u.s. 101 and the capitol expressway northbound and southbound lanes

closed from midnight to 5:30 tomorrow morning. similar closures will continue through monday. caltrans needs to do the closures to do work on the tully road project. traffic and weather coming right up. ,, ,,,,,, ,,,,

good morning. south bay accident blocking languages working your way northbound 85 to 17. injuries reported.

chp on scene. sluggish conditions as well in that area. 280 also slow and go northbound through downtown san jose. sluggish this morning no accidents on 280 but just extra busy. northbound 101 near cesar chavez reports of an accident blocking the road. traffic slow both directions through the central freeway, as well. looks like sluggish as well on the skyway. metering lights are on at the bay bridge toll plaza. that's a look at traffic. here's kristy with your forecast. >> thanks a lot, gianna. more warm weather in store today just like we had yesterday. plenty of sunshine. we are seeing clouds today, more than yesterday. but blue skies today and inland temperatures into the 90s once again. east bay seeing temperatures here mid- to high 70s. cooler at the coast in the low 60s. cloud cover there into the afternoon. we will cool off for friday and then bump up a few degrees for your weekend. a nice weekend in store with gradual cooling continuing for the workweek. so later on in the week temperatures in the high 80s in our warmest spots. ,,,,,,,,

well, there it well, there it is. sadly, we'll never see this again. the space shuttle landing at kennedy space center bright and early this morning before sunrise. "atlantis" and its four crew members touched down before 6:00 a.m. eastern time ending an era in space flight. welcome back to "the early show." i'm chris wragge along with rebecca jarvis. erica hill is off today. it never gets old. >> it really doesn't. >> after 30 years, it was great to hear the commander chris ferguson say america is not going to stop exploring upon landing there. >> that is a very important point there. it's really a bittersweet day here. on the one hand, thank goodness, they're back.

but for those who were part of this historic effort and the journalists who have long covered americans' adventures in space, including cbs news space consultant bill harwood who has covered it for 20 years, and he now joins us from the kennedy space center. there's obviously a bittersweet melon comely tone in the air. at least from our vantage point here in new york. what's it like there? >> reporter: it really is like that. it's almost like a funeral. i hate to put it that way. it's almost like a los of a good friend. for all the thousands of people that have worked on the space shuttle over the last three decades, seeing "atlantis" come down to this landing and close out the program, it's truly a bittersweet moment. >> they say now that this is going to be a private venture going forward, bill. how do people on the ground feel about that? do they think that's a good idea? do they think it's something that can really carry this thing forward with the same very osty

or velocity that it has been going with over these last 20 years? >> it's certainly not going to be at the same velocity. a three to five-year gap at best between the end of the shuttle and the debut of these commercial spacecraft that will replace it. i don't think the people down here at the space center really so much regret losing the shuttle as it is the way the shuttle is lost. the fact that they've canceled the program without a vehicle ready to take its place to continue flights right away. in that three to five-year gap, u.s. astronauts are going to have to hitch rides to the space station with the russians at about $60 million a seat and that's something that simply doesn't sit very well among the men and women who care and feed the shuttle over all of these years. i think there's some real disappointment about that more than the fact that the shuttle itself is over. >> watching these launches captures the mind and imagination and hearts of so many bill, you've been covering this now for 20 years with cbs news. is it always what you have

wanted to do? >> it has been for a long time. i was in college at the university of tennessee, and i came down to cover the second shuttle launch for my school newspaper. and the sight of "columbia" taking off, the roar of the fire and thunder, so struck me that i decided i wanted to be a space journalist and cover it full time. i was lucky enough to come down and end up with the united press international and then finally with cbs news. it's been an incredible ride watching all of these missions, and like i've said before, it's not so much that i regret the passing of the shuttle but we're going to miss it. miss all of that grandeur now that it's gone. >> well, bill harwood, you've done such a tremendous job over the years. we appreciate your reporting. in particular, on this launch. thank you. we appreciate it. >> i can echo that. bill, wonderful job. one of the best. >> fantastic. >> we have been privileged to have him on board here. let's get over to betty ngyuen filling in for jeff glor. jeff is in london. >> we have it all covered. >> not that we don't love having jeff here. >> good morning to you. today the senate takes up a budget deal passed by the house as we approach the deadline to raise the debt ceiling. democrats are expected to kill the deficit-reduction bill. the white mouse says president

to into obama will now consider a short-term deal to raise the debt limit and avoid default. a bipartisan senate bill that would cull nearly $4 trillion from the deficit is beginning support, but there's probably not enough time before the august 2nd deadline to get it passed. >> we don't have 60 votes, but we are moving forward it. this is the only bipartisan plan that beats the deficit reduction targets and does it in a comprehensive and balanced way. >> for those of you keeping track, the debt deadline is less than two weeks away. president obama met separately with republican and democratic leaders yesterday. media tycoon rupert murdoch is home here in new york this morning, but he is still the man on the bull's-eye in britain's phone hacking scandal. and he is subject to a u.s. investigation as well. "the early show's" jeff glor is in log do london this morning and is joining us live. good morning, jeff. >> reporter: good morning, betty. no hearings scheduled here at parliament today after a couple

of wild scenes two days in a row here. first it was rupert murdoch who was questioned on tuesday, and then british prime minister david cameron yesterday. murdoch has now returned to new york, he flew back in a private jet yesterday. as his company we are learning begins to assemble a pretty powerful legal team to defend any possible legal action in the u.s. a former u.s. attorney and former attorney general included. there have been allegations that one of news corp's papers hacked into the voice mails of 9/11 victims and then murdoch later went to his apartment on fifth avenue in new york city and it was interesting to see some of the photographers there congratulate his wife wendi on her boxing skills. she, of course, intercepted that foam pie intended for rupert murdoch's face in the middle of that hearing on tuesday. and based on the way chris was talking, betty, he may have a foam pie for me when i get back to new york. >> they miss you here, jeff. come back, quickly. >> miss you guys, too. see you soon. russ mitchell has a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news."

>> with nasa's shuttle program ending, now the only way americans can get into space is by hitching a ride with the russians. so who actually won the cold war space race? the u.s. or the soviets? that story tonight on "the cbs evening news." take you now to marysol castro. she's on the national mall in washington this morning sweating it out while we're in this nice, cool studio. sorry, marysol. >> oh, betty, you're not sorry. >> i know, rubbing it in. >> but i love you. i love you anyway. good morning to everyone at home. yes, it is now 82 degrees here in the nation's capital. and this will be the trend over the next couple of days because it's only going to get worse. on saturday, here in d.c., thunderstorms will move through to cool things down just a bit,

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>> thanks so much. that's your latest weather. now back over to chris. >> all right, marysol, thank you so much. public school students in memphis may have a summer vacation that lasts well into fall. the first day of school is being delayed because city officials and the school board can't agree on money. the dispute has more than 100,000 children and their families wondering what's going on. august 8th was set to be the first day of classes for memphis students, but not anymore. and that has 17-year-old deville wiseman worried about getting into college and her mother upset. >> yesterday they said september. now this morning they said october. when we look up, it's going to be january. >> reporter: the memphis school board voted on tuesday to delay the start of classes until the city pays $55 million toward the upcoming school year. >> commissioner robinson? >> reporter: the city says it will make good on its promise to pay up but that isn't good enough for the board. it says it needs the money now.

>> we might not even be able to make payroll. we have 16,000 employees in our system. so who is going to work for free other than the elected board members? >> reporter: mayor wharton says the school board is playing a dangerous game. >> find some other way to show that you protest and don't trust us. run a billboard, run tv ads and don't trust those folks down there. but let's not pull the children into this. >> reporter: like school districts all over the country, memphis gets 50% of their funding from the state and this closure could put this money and the city's students in jeopardy. joining us is martavius jones, president of the memphis city school board. mr. jones, good morning. thank you for joining us. >> greetings from them memphis. >> is the city of memphis in such bad financial state right now they can't fund their schools? >> well, we have a situation right now where the city of memphis provides critical money at this time of year. and the city of memphis has defined a court order from three

different court levels to pay money that is owed by local government to help fund memphis city schools. so the city being defiant of court orders at this credit call time when we have to make expenditures, we have tried -- we take it to the courts. and if the court can't compel the city to fund memphis city schools we don't know what can. >> what reason are they giving you for not giving you the money to just make your payroll and order milk and books and supplies for the kids? >> and those are critical expenditures that we make at the beginning of the year. we have been involved in a court battle with the city of memphis since 2008. when they ill-advisedly cut funds from a tax break. they sent a message that education is not a priority for the city by cutting funds to the school automatically built into

the tax rate. >> the delay of school seems like a pretty extreme measure here. on the surface it looks as though the board is really using the kids adds as leverage. the mayor said to get a billboard, put out tv ads, but i know you voted against it. your other board members have kind of sounded the alarm we are going to put the kids right in the middle of this confrontation. >> we have sounded the alarm since 2008. it was ill-advised to cut revenues or to cut your main revenue source, being taxes, during a recession. i can't say what the city council's motives were in doing this, but we as a board, we would like the students to be in class on august 8th. but it would be ill-advised and imprudent for memphis city schools to start instruction without having funds to last us or any assurances that we will have funding from the city to last us throughout this academic school year. >> if i'm sitting at home right now and my son or daughter is supposed to be in school on

the 8th of august, can you sit there and tell me that my kid is going to be going to school or does it look like it's going to be put off? >> chris, yesterday i met with the mayor, and the mayor sees the urgency of this. and the mayor as well as all parties involved will do whatever we can to make sure that students will be in the classroom on august 8th. but the board, when that was the message that the board was compelled to do. because the city at the beginning of this fiscal year is $151 million in arears as it relates to payments to memphis city schools. >> you're being underfunded the last few years. you are looking for $55 million. right now the mayor is just offering $3 million. we'll see what happens and continue to follow this story. martavius jones, thank you for taking the time and joining us this morning. we wish you the best down there. up next, another new recommendation for women and mammograms. we'll clear up some of the confusion over when whim should start having them when we come back. this is "the early show" on cbs. .

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in this morning's "healthwatch dwherkts mammogram debate. breast cancer is the second deadliest form of the disease among women. last year it killed 40,000 americans, but there is still no agreement on how and when and how often to screen for it. on wednesday, the american college of obstetricians and gynecologists say annual mammograms should be offered to all women starting at 40. two years ago, a government panel recommended waiting until age 50. so we're looking for clarity on this life and death issue. we get it from cbs news medical correspondent dr. jennifer ashton and nancy brinker, founder and ceo of the susan g. komen foundation. great to have you both with us. obviously, a really important topic to so many people. and we have heard, jen, glins changing and evolving. how have they changed and evolved over time? >> really, we were in front of this story, rebecca, when it came out in 2009 and cbs extensively covered it. the debate and controversy

continued to this day. when you talk about recommendations it really depends which organization is making those recommendations. if you break it down, acog which is the american college of obstetricians and gynecologists and the american cancer society say start screening at 40 and screen every year. the national cancer institute also says start screening at 40, however you can break that screening down a little bit to every one to two years. the u.s. preventive services task force, they created quite a stir when two years ago they said don't start until age 50 and then screen every two years. and again, these recommendations are for the women at average risk. the medical question is, how do you know if you are at average risk until you've actually been diagnosed with breast cancer? >> and i think the question on everyone's mind, nancy, is why can't they get together, pool their data and come to one conclusion? >> we've had a conclusion for many, many years at susan g. komen. screening saves lives. 98%. the five-year survival rate for breast cancer diagnosed seller 95% in america today.

largely because of screening and early diagnosis. people look at it differently. the health care prevention task force was highly confusing 20 months ago when they took this on. because they were scientists looking at data that most of us already knew. the point is, what do you do about this? and today the announcement from acog, from the american college of obstetricians and gynecologists. these are treating physicians who are treating people and most people in america are treated in their own communities, not even in cancer centers and places like that. so we need workable recommendations. also, mammography is not 100% perfect. it should be. we have the ability to make it perfect in the united states today. it's political will. you know it should be more -- >> you say it's politics? >> a lot of it. >> political will. not even politics. if you show political will, something happens. if you walk through one of the screening machines at the airport, they can almost see what you are eating. so, therefore, i can't be convinced that better screening and better technology, and that's the position we took 20

months ago. but the issue is, it does work and works in a broad population and people are living longer because of it. even though they haven't done the studies to say who is living longer. the fact is we know it works. >> jen, i want to get to you on how to reduce risk because, obviously, that is something that so many people, notion mammograms, they think, well, how do i live my life differently? >> right. and we know breast cancer is a complex disease. in fact, a lot of breast cancer is -- or can be behaviorally modified to reduce that risk. so there are important things that women can do. you can start doing them even when you are a teenager. but things like limiting alcohol use. very important really for most if not all women. maintaining a healthy weight. avoiding obesity. exercising regularly. even exercise done in adolescence can reduce the risk of breast cancer later in life. lastly, breast feeding is an incredibly important method to reduce the risk of breast cancer and more women need to know about that. >> this conversation will clearly be an ongoing one here at cbs news.

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so these ocean researchers in south africa have this quirky little idea. let's try to attract great white sharks and then let's count them. they found out there is such a thing as being a little bit too attractive. >> one of the sharks, a ten-footer, jumped on board, damaged the boat. the crew members had to scramble to make sure they didn't get damaged as well. definitely don't want to get in the wave that guy. they needed a crane to get it out. coming up, we'll ask one of the scientists on board what it was ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

are searching for a killer, after another good morning. i'm grace lee with your news headlines. richmond police are searching for a killer after another man is killed. 20-year-old darrell russell is shot to death near a community center yesterday. police say someone got out of the car and shot russell at close range. the number of traffic deaths in california is down for the fifth straight year. a new report shows about 2700 people died on the roads last year. and a major restart for the new terminal at sfo. according to "the examiner," planners wanted the new terminal 3 to meet the same standards as the new terminal 2. the new design will feature

more seating and retail space. the price went from $24 million to $104 million. traffic and weather coming right up. ,,,,,,,,,,,,

60s coast, cooler there and a little bit of cloud cover. we'll see there today at the coastline. so cooling down a little for friday. bumping up a few degrees in temperature for your weekend. monday, tuesday, wednesday, seeing a cooling trend only going to be in the high 80s in the warmest spots next week. whoa!! the really big chicken sandwich combo is back!

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you're going to need a bigger boat. >> one of my all-time favorites there. so this kind of thing only happens in movies, right? well, maybe not. on monday, a real great white shark 10 feet long weighing more than half a ton with lots of teeth, sharp ones, i might add, jumped on board a research boat off the coast of south africa, thrashing around on the deck for more than an hour. and this crew did not have time to find a bigger boat. welcome back to "the shoerearly show." i'm chris wragge along with rebecca jarvis.

erica hill is off this morning. >> that shark didn't get away. it didn't escape our folks in the london bureau. they saw it this morning and flagged it for jeff glor who has the story. jeff, you thought you were going after one shark and now you found another. >> yeah, right. indeed. just in case you thought it was stressful being questioned by parliament, there's this. one of our producers noticed this. wild pictures from just off the coast of south africa. this team of researchers was out doing research on shark populations but they got a .

so, yeah, we're very happy that the shark lived to tell the tale. >> very happy indeed. the shark is okay. presumably back in the water so it can scare the death out of

someone else next time. they do say that they think this was an accident, that it wasn't an attack, but safe to say they may be slightly more careful next time. they're all okay. >> easy for them to say it wasn't an attack. it was just an accident. yesterday we had you fishing. this is a different issue. how would you have wrestled that alligat tor the boat. alligator? shark. >> there's been so much talk of fish here. i'm in london. i still haven't had fish and chips. maybe that's tomorrow. >> nice theme here. >> i'd like to follow up on this story and make sure those interns that were really the first part of the attack are getting paid. i hope it's a paid internship. bottom line. >> one would hope. double time. >> thanks so much, jeff. good to see you. talk to you later. now to a story about love and too much togetherness. once in a while your significant other wants to do something you don't but you go along with it anyway. on monday in dallas, an engaged couple at an amusement park

found themselves in an unexpected bind. all thalia rodriguez wanted was to tackle the texas blast-off zero gravity ride. her fiance isn't the blast off bungee type. he's afraid of heights. >> i had to beg, beg, beg. he finally gave in and said okay. >> reporter: around 7:00 p.m. monday night, will was reluctantly strapped in alongside thalia and the two were all ready to go. >> they count to three, the countdown and release you. we jet up come back down and then it's just for a while floating up and down. then they start to lower this one and this one just isn't lowering so we're starting to tilt. >> it turns out will's worst fears came true when according to witnesses, the ride's bungee cords became tangled, leaving the couple dangling helplessly 80 feet in the air. >> the last thing i want to do is look at the cords. i didn't want to see one about to snap off. i really didn't pay much attention to that. i was more concerned, how are we

going to get down? >> after three long hours, firefighters were finally able to free them. the couple, planning to get married in february, say the experience helped bring them closer, even tafr almost drove them apart. >> we had a mixture of emotions. we got in a fight, we laughed. she cried. i was there consoling her. you name it. it was a combination of everything within three hours. >> while both are about to spend the rest of their lives together, they say they'll probably never bungee together again. but they are going skydiving this weekend. >> you could not pay me a million dollars to do that. >> i will say this. not to diminish what they went through. when i originally heard the bungee jumping, i was thinking one of those bungee jumping where it's tied to your ankles and they were hanging precari s precariously upside down. but they were seated. >> for three hours, chris? you try it for three hours. >> i'm just saying. not to diminish what they went through. here's betty ngyuen with a check of the headlines. >> quite a long time there. good morning, everybody. after a three-year run, the

space shuttle program ended this morning. the shuttle "atlantis" glided to a landing at the kennedy space center before dawn. it was the program's 135th mission and its last. the crew completed a 13-day mission to the international space station. but commander christopher ferguson said this flight was for everyone. >> we sure hope that everybody who has ever worked or touched or looked at or envied or admired a space shuttle was able to take just a little part of the journey with us. >> there were five shuttles. they flew 542 million miles, circling the earth 25,150 times. more gloomy economic news looming. layoffs are holding back the economy. companies are laying off employees at levels not seen in nearly a year. this week, cisco systems, lockheed martin and goldman sachs announced they were laying off a total of 14,000 workers. the government's most recent jobs report for people out of work less than five weeks grew

more than 15%. president obama says he is hopeful the manufacturing industry can pick up the slack. >> the recovery has been, obviously, slower than we would like. and we're doing everything we can to accelerate hiring. manufacturing has actually been a bright spot in this recovery. we've actually seen more growth faster in manufacturing than in the rest of the economy. >> reporter: the unemployment rate stands at 9.2%. the labor department this morning released its weekly unemployment report. jobless claims were up last week to 418,000. now we want to get you a look at this. designated parking spaces which give disabled drivers easy access to stores and medical facilities. a lot of healthy drivers use those spots illegally. thanks to a backlog at the dmv. bill whitaker reports. >> david casam sa troubled by

this placard allowing his mother mary to park in a disabled spot. he regularly gets them in the mail, even though his mother died nine years ago. >> sometimes i guess the dmv figured out that she was deceased and sometimes it didn't. >> reporter: the problem is much more common than anyone could have imagined. the california department of motor vehicles found nearly 60,000 dead people on its list to get parking placards. some are returned. most are misused by those who can't resist the convenience of a prime parking spot. no need to feed the meter. >> my mom, when she passed away in january of 2008, we received new placard in june. and i went right down and turned it in. and they go, well, thank you because nobody usually does this. >> reporter: the news only fuels frustration for drivers who depend on disabled parking. >> and it's people that use them fraudulently, don't they have a conscience? >> reporter: 2.1 million california drivers have disabled placards. a whopping 700,000, one-third,

are used illegally. fraud complaints are on the rise. and the dmv says the database of death records is two years behind. >> we don't know how many placards are being issued to deceased people whatsoever. the key here is, whether or not you have one of these placards, whether you know it belongs to somebody else or it belongs to a deceased person, using that is against the law. you know it's fraud. and you shouldn't do it. >> reporter: david kasama agrees. he doesn't use his mom's placard, but believes that the dmv needs to find a way to cut through the bureaucratic red tape. >> i never called them to cancel it or anything, but i figured with the death certificate and everything they would know. >> reporter: bill whitaker, cbs news, los angeles. finally, what did santa do for summer vacation? he went to denmark. it's the national santa claus congress in copenhagen. a three-day affair that this year drew about 120 jolly fellows from around the world. they may come from different

places, but their outfits are more or less the same. white beards and red coats. those are definitely in fashion. she's wearing red today, but not feeling like denmark in washington. good morning, marysol. >> good morning, betty. santa is probably too chicken to come to where it's really hot. it's 84 degrees now here in the nation's capital. and we always marvel at the intrepid individuals who exercise no matter the heat index. we caught up with one woman who is a naval nurse. here's what she had to say. >> i'm a nurse. i kind of do look around when i'm running and stuff. periodically i saw someone throwing up yesterday. so, yeah, you just stop and try to move them to the shade and stuff. but, yeah, i'm careful. >> what are you going to do to brace yourself for tomorrow and saturday and sunday.

>> thanks so much. that's your latest weather. now back to you guys in the studio. i'm being told that i'm already starting to look greasy. >> you look fabulous, marysol. we appreciate it. thank you. it looks like no more smooth sailing for two historic ferries in connecticut that are older than the united states itself. due to budget problems, the state is planning to shut them down. and it's not going over too well with local residents. "early show" contributor terren winterbrill has more on the effort to keep these ferries afloat. >> reporter: the picturesque connecticut river measures about 200 yards between the towns of glastonbury and rocky hill. for local residents on both sides, these are troubled waters. >> save our ferries. save our ferries. >> reporter: they sing a folk song for their ferries, the oldest and longest running in

the country. after 361 years, it's being shut down. >> really since there's been people in glastonbury there's been a ferry at this crossing. predates the charters of the towns. it predates connecticut. it predates the united states. >> reporter: resident dave campoli and others are trying to keep this ferry afloat. along with its downriver sister. the two ferries provide a cross-river shortcut for vehicles and pedestrians and have been running for a combined 598 years. >> to destroy something as pristine as this, to stop historic activity that's been going on since 1650, that really costs the state a very minimal amount of money, to me, it's ridiculous. >> reporter: but for connecticut governor dana malloy and his budget deficit, it's a cut worth making. last year the two ferries generated about $150,000 in revenue. but cost the state more than $500,000 to maintain.

malloy declined to comment, but the connecticut department of transportation stated in order to save money, we've had to make difficult decisions. none of them ideal. representative prasad srinivasan is fighting back. >> we have to fill the hole. we're well aware of that. but doing it at the back of our ferry is the wrong reason. i hope for our town it does not happen. >> reporter: unless the protesters get an injunction, both ferries are slated to close next month. commuters who wish to cross the river will have to drive out of their way to a bridge, adding both time and traffic. but mainly, residents seem concerned about losing the small, yet significant, piece of americana. when you heard this ferry might be getting cut, what was your reaction? >> i understand that the state needs to cut some funds, and i was disappointed they were going to cut it. it's such an old ferry. >> we grew up here. we used it like when i was growing up, biking back and forth. the kids love it.

>> you think this story resinates on a national level? >> i think people relate to it. i think they can look around themselves wherever they live and see things that are being taken away from them for the purpose of cost savings. and really scratch their head and say, does that really make sense? >> wow. beautiful day for a ferry ride. >> reporter: scampoli agrees the country's bad economy makes this an all too familiar story for many americans. >> we've all been asked to give up too much. and there's a point at which you say enough. >>. ♪ our state budget is extreme >> it's a peaceful song but it's also a battle cry. and on both sides of the riv river -- ♪ they hope to save both ferries. karen winterbrill, cbs news, hadlyme, connecticut. ♪ don't shut our ferry down >> it's not official just yet. see what happens. >> but this is a story, like the story tells us, that we are

seeing throughout the country. there are cuts. and unless people pay more in taxes, it's probably unlikely they'll get all the things they get right now. >> in the meantime, they'll keep on singing. >> yep. up next, "captain america," the latest comic book character to hit the big screen. we'll ask the man in charge of marvel comics why we're so fascinated with superheroes. why are we? [ woman ] the staff was remarkable. they made me feel safe, trusting, cared for. [ giggles ] they saved his life. i owe all of them my son. [ female announcer ] alta bates summit medical center and sutter health --

"captain america" opens in theaters tomorrow across the u.s. will the film adaptation stay true to its comic book roots. jeff glor visited the man behind marvel comics to find out. jeff is there anything you can't do from london? >> trying desperately to find the connection in any way. actually, there is one here, rebecca. i've seen the advertisements on billboards around london for "captain america," even though this is britain and even though it doesn't open until next week here. in the u.s., tomorrow. and this week, i had the privilege of sitting down for a

chat with the new editor in chief of marvel comics. long before captain america showed up here in the summer of 2011, he was first seen here on the cover a marvel comic book in the spring of 1941. >> these are all little pieces of history you hold in your hands. >> reporter: for more than 70 years, marvel has been making comics. writers and illustrateors penning fantastic tales of good versus evil. spider-man, the hulk, x-men. >> that's marvel girl. that's cyclopes, iceman and magnito. i couldn't have told you who those characters were when i got the job. >> reporter: the latest caretaker of marvel's famous characters is a guy who got into this by accident. >> working in comics was never a goal. i went to columbia graduate school of journalism. i wrote for a bunch of papers and newspapers and i actually answered an ad in "the new york

times" for editors at dc comics. i thought i'd like to check that out. >> reporter: after finding success at rival dc, axel alonso joined marvel in 2001. and this year, he was named editor in chief. >> it's really satisfying for me. i have an 8-year-old son. and, you know, i am actually cool because, you know, what i do is, you know, i go to work and i deal with spider-man and the hulk. >> they found a way to tap the source material. >> reporter: though alonso can still walk unanimously through times square, he's among the biggest names at this week's comic-con. >> good to see you. >> reporter: the famed gathering in san diego featuring the latest in science fiction and fantasy and all of its highly devoted fans. >> our fans are hard core. they are very opinionated. they let you know when they don't like something. at the end of the dwrirks have to hit them with the right story. you have to back up your event

and just, you know, stand on your own two feet. in comic books, it's all about story. people don't come to a spider-man comic book to see spider-man punch the green goblin. they go to see the journey that brought him there. >> reporter: alonso's job is to keep those stories fresh. week after week. no matter what's happened before and no matter what comes next. for those who haven't picked up a comic in decades, how have they changed? >> i think it's evident the moment you pick one up, when you look at the art, the level of technical skill that goes into the art, that's the very first thing i think shows how comics have changed. >> reporter: but challenges remain. overall, sales of comics have declined in the past decade. the readers aging. >> the modern comic day reader is generally male, late 20s to early 40s. >> reporter: marvel, in part, hopes their films, which so far have grossed $9 billion, help broadening the base pof teof pol

readers. just as "captain america" hits theaters this weekend, a new series is also launching on newsstands. where does marvel go ten years, 20 years from now? how is it a different company than what it is now? >> well, i think that the emergence of hand-held media like the ipad is going to change things in a major way. that said, i don't believe that print will governor away. >> you have this experience in mind. is it people coming in here, buying this comic and reading these stories? >> very much so. in the back of your mind, you are always thinking about the actual guy walking in after work on a wednesday and picking up the comic or better yet, bringing his kids. >> jeff, once again -- good stuff. are you a comic book guy? >> well, former collector. my wife keeps asking me when we're getting rid of the boxes. i keep saying, honey, they're going to be worth something some day. >> your only in your mid-30s. >> favorite superhero? >> i always laked daredevil. >> jarvis? >> superman. >> me, three.

superman. i was always a marvel guy. i was like daredevil, x-men. >> all right, jeffrey. good job, my friend. we,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

headlines... a ballot measure aim good morning. it is 8:55. i'm elizabeth wenger with your cbs 5 headlines. a ballot measure aimed at banning male circumcision in san francisco is getting attention at the state and federal levels. this afternoon, two state assembly members will have a news conference in san francisco to talk about their bill to stop city governments from banning circumcision. in response to a deadly crash, ucsf is putting seatbelts into its shuttle buses. they hope to have the fleet outfitted by the end of august. and there is a new man in charge of transportation in san francisco. the "chronicle" newspaper says ed reiskin will be named today as executive director of the municipal transportation agency. reiskin has been the cities public works director since 2008. traffic and weather coming right up. ,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,

good morning. troubles in the south bay. an accident northbound 85 ramp to north 17. still blocking labels. traffic is slow and go approaching the wreck. in fact a little slow past

there as well along 85. southbound 101 out of marin county. 20 minutes from 37 to 580. golden gate bridge seeing extra volume. overall not bad into san francisco. san mateo bridge an accident near the toll plaza cleared to the right shoulder. you can see live here traffic looks good in both directions between hayward and foster city. bay bridge metering lights are still on but you're just slow at the toll plaza. that's traffic. here's kristy with your forecast. >> thank you, gianna. going to see plenty of warm temperatures inland, nice around the bay, as well. cloud cover at the coast still in the clear for the most part. going to make it to the mid-90s inland. mid- to high 70s around the bay. cooler at the coast in the low 60s. we'll see a little bit of cloud cover there today that we didn't see yesterday. so nice temperatures today and then slight cooldown for friday. bumping up a few degrees in temperature for saturday and sunday. so nice weekend ahead. and then we start to see a cooling trend for the start of next workweek. by the middle of next week, temperatures in our warmthest spots in the high 80s.

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